Kia To Boost Capacity At West Point, Georgia Plant

Kia Motors Corp. said June 2 it will increase the production capacity of its West Point, GA, assembly plant by 20%, to help the company keep up with demand for its vehicles, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Korean car maker says it will begin expansion projects at its Georgia factory that will raise its total annual capacity to 360,000 vehicles by the beginning of next year. The boost follows an announcement earlier this year at the New York International Auto Show that the automaker would begin producing its Optima mid-size sedan at the US plant.

The planned expansion includes the plant’s stamping, welding, paint and general assembly shops. The expansion will make room for the 2012 Optima to join the company’s Sorento crossover utility vehicle which is already built at the plant.

Kia and its parent company Hyundai, who have long fought to be taken seriously by rivals and consumers in the US, have hit their stride with efficient attractive and desirable vehicles that appear to be bargains compared with competitors’ products. The company has also been able to step ahead of other foreign automakers due to the shortages of Japanese vehicles resulting from the March earthquake and tsunami in that country.